How happy are you with the quantity and quality of the contacts you receive from your Web site?

Many businesses complain that their Web sites do not generate enough contacts and sales leads to justify the cost. They want a better ROI for their Web sites.

We were also getting very frustrated because our Web site was generating very little e-mail and/or phone contact information. After testing a few different web design ideas, and finally decided to insert a bright, attractive, attention getting box on each web page.

This box contained our phone number and e-mail contact information.

As a result of this change, we started to receive many more calls and e-mail leads. This simple change made it very easy for anyone to contact us, and made those who did contact us feel more secure and willing to give us their business.

How can you make your business more accessible and available to new prospects and clients to generated many new sales.

As you know form experience, people will leave your Web site if they have to put too much effort into navigating it, or if they run into trouble trying to figure out how to contact you.

When a future client needs more information from you and your contact page is buried somewhere deep in your site, then it may never be found. If this happens – and it does at many sites we all have visited – then the customer is gone, maybe forever.  The sale is essentially lost. Don’t let this happen on your Web site.

What can you do to make it very simple for visitors to your Web site to find your contact information?

What is the name of your business, product and services?

Your business name is usually the first image someone gets of your company and it is often imbedded in his or her mind forever.

People have a hard time separating reality from perception. If you have a bad name, then you won’t attract business; so the best option is to get a new name. A bad name never gets any better and good names are remembered forever.

One of the most important marketing decisions you can ever make is choosing the name of your business, product or service. Your name should explain or “tell a story” of exactly what your business or your product/service does.

“Have regard for your name, since it will remain for you longer than a great store of gold.”
-Ecclesiasticus

Choosing a name isn’t easy. There are so many names already in use for various businesses, products, and services that coming up with a name that is “new” can be very difficult. But remember:  your name will help determine your position in the marketplace.

Choose a name that tells prospects what the major benefits of your business are and how that can help them.
Great examples of “the perfect name” are: “Die Hard Batteries,” “Burger King,” and “Pure and Natural Soap.” These names tell a lot about the products they are selling. Select a name that is generic enough and still describes what you do. Newsweek is a fantastic name for a weekly news pub¬lication. Value City is a great name for a discount store.

It is also important to think about the future when you are deciding on a name. Choose a name that won’t become “out-of-date,” or one that would allow a competitor to come in with a better, more descriptive name and take your marketing position away.

Your name could well be the difference between success and failure in the marketplace. If you are first to the market with an unusual name like Xerox, and you offer a great product/service, then your name can be almost anything. But you can’t get away with an unusual name if you are not the first into the marketplace, and own the top position. It’s hard to build market identity with a non-descriptive name, unless you are the one who creates the market.

What does your  name Do, help or hurt your business?

The alarm went off today, November 4th (voting day) at 6:30am.
The sun was shining through the window making the fall leaves glow beautifully.
Did the routine three S’s, read a bit and off I went.

This morning wasn’t much different then any other morning.

Except for voting…
Now, I made it to the polls by 7:45am and was out by 8:20am
Small voting district. Short lines.
Saw a neighbor that I had not seen in a while.
Got the latest neighborhood news.
Births. Deaths.
You know what I’m talking about.

While standing in line to vote, it hit me.

“We vote every day of our lives”

We vote for cereal or eggs.
We vote to work or goof off.
We vote to prospect or not.
We vote on who we want to see that day
We vote on what projects to work on
We vote to hit the enter key
Who to work with
What route to take home
On and on and on.

Every decision we decide is a vote.
A choice to move forward, stay the same or move backwards.

Besides all the political candidiates, what did you vote for today?

Here are a few quick voting ideas.

• Vote for your family members success.
  Give them praise for anyting well done and you will help them grow even stronger

• Vote for your client’s success.
  Do everything in your power to help them succeed and you will succeed.

• Vote for doing something. Anything.
  Nothing happens until something moves. Get the pendulum moving, momentum makes things easier.

• Vote for YOURSELF.
  Forge you own path and be willing to stand alone because your life in no way depends on what others think, say or do.

• Vote for Forgiveness.
  Forgive yourself and others for honest mistakes of the past.

What will you decide today that will change someone life?

Happy Marketing
Sandy Barris
Business Marketing Services
Author of ’97 Marketing Secrets to Make
More Money: Your Secret Guide to Growing
Your Business”

P.S. Your Invited To Join (By Invite Only) Our Next  Monthly How To Market Profitably Teleseminar Hosted by List Expert Jerry Bresser.

For Details Click Here:  www.HowToMarketProfitably.com

Does your business have a personality?

“Branding” simply means creating a personality for your business —giving it a unique look, feel, taste, touch, sound, smell, texture, color, or even typeface.

Branding also means using every opportunity to give your business a consistent theme and a “stand¬out” look. Having a recognizable brand is essential to surviving in today’s business environment.

Brand recognition alone may not be enough to get people to buy your products/services. People need reasons to buy. You have to ingrain your brand image into their brains by associating your brand with a positive feeling. When you do, people will remember your prod¬ucts/services and will feel good about buying from you.

Getting your business noticed in an inexpensive way is very possible if you are a clever business owner who is motivated to create a brand for yourself.

First, you can create and perfect your very own brand in your local market and then decide if you want to expand.

Most small businesses don’t have the marketing budget that the giant corporations have to spend on their brand image.

If you have a little money, a lot of chutzpah, and know how to harness the magic of low¬cost or free publicity and promotions, you can make your brand and business stand out!

Make the invisible visible.

Make your business an obsession.

Take every opportunity, no matter how small, to talk about your business. This will get you noticed.

It’s important to make the media aware of you, your business, and its brand image. You have to make your­self available. Use the free publicity that the media can offer to spread your marketing message and expand your brand recognition to a wider market.

What are you doing to give your business a positive image?